Treasured Catholic Churches of CincinnatiA visual tour of the beautiful churches of Cincinnati. This project is currently under development so not all of the churches have detailed pictures and histories yet.
Altar, Theby Ruthe Winne Roberts (from Sursum Corda!, Spring 1999) Which was the more improbable, that a beautiful chapel would be constructed by Italian POWs in Wales, or that it would survive into the present?
Can We Keep Our Churches Catholic?by Denis McNamara. A critical look at Environment and Art in Catholic Worship, the NCCB's Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy church design guide. (from Adoremus Bulletin, March 1998)
Catholic Churches: A Synthesis of Formsby James Haverty Smith. A description and short history of the two main categories of architectural design, the Roman basilica and the Byzantine dome. (from Crisis, November 1996)
Classical Momentby Duncan G Stroik. This essay shows clearly the principles which must inform Church architecture, particularly with the revival of Classicism. (from Catholic Dossier, May/June 1997)
Ever Ancient, Ever Newby Ann Carey (from Sursum Corda!, Winter 1998) With the first classically based architecture curriculum in fifty years, Notre Dame has re-ignited traditional church design.
Is Domus Dei D.O.A.?by Paul Likoudis. A report on the discussion at US Bishops' November annual meeting of Domus Dei - the Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy's proposed document dealing with the art and architecture of Catholic churches. (from The Wanderer, 2 December 1999)
Liturgical Architecture - Its Abuse and Restorationby Anthony Delarue (from Sursum Corda!, Winter 1999) All too often in recent years churches have been erected in total ignorance of the laws, rules and traditions which form part of the Catholic way of honouring God.
My House Is a House of PrayerThis article is about how the interior design of churches should promote prayer and how the elimination of kneelers de-Catholicizes our worship of God. (from Homiletic & Pastoral Review, December 1993)
Reconnecting to Traditionby Thomas Gordon Smith (from Sursum Corda!, Fall 1998) In a new Catholic architecture we have an opportunity to forge a new architectural exegesis based on tradition. Rather than relegating tradition to a distant, inaccessible past, we must find ways to reconnect ourselves to our heritage, in order to create a culture of spiritual unity and continuity.
Renovation of Churches(from Sacred Music, Spring 1990) One of the most visible and surely most controversial effects of the Second Vatican Council is the radical restructuring of existing churches, many of considerable historic and artistic merit. No action can stir up bitterness and create division within a parish more quickly and deeply than the announcement of plans to renovate the church.
Temple as the Maternal Place of the Churchby Christophe Cardinal Schonborn OP. The Church must be a sacred place distinct from the profane, reserved for worship alone, for the sacred action of the liturgy. (from Catholic Dossier, May/June 1997)
What Happened to the Glory?A liturgical architect, Henry Hardinge Menzies, discusses overcoming the mediocre and sometimes profane results of Church design and sacred art since Vatican II
Church Architecture